196 LIRR Employees Made More Than $200K Last Year; 12 Top $300K

As prices of Long Island Rail Road fares go up, so do the yearly paychecks of its employees.

The number of LIRR employees who made more than $200,000 increased by about 40 percent from 2016 t0 2017, according to payroll data found on the Empire Center for Public Policy's transparency website, SeeThroughNY.net.

The number of employees who made more than $300,000 also increased this year. Twelve LIRR employees topped a $300,000 paycheck in 2017 compared to eight in 2016, data shows. In 2015, just four employees made that amount. In 2014, no employees made more than $300,000.

LIRR President Patrick A. Nowakowski was No. 7 on the 2017 list, with a pay rate of $137 per hour, a $1 per hour raise from 2016. All six employees ahead of him received a pay rate of $48 or $50 per hour, according to the data.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority hiked fares on subways and its suburban commuter railroads 4 percent in 2017. The MTA is planning similar hikes in 2019 and 2021. But that pace may need to accelerate to cover growing maintenance costs and the MTA's long-term capital plan, according to a report state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released in November.

Here are the LIRR employees who were paid over $200,000 last year:

1. Joseph J. Biondo, Foreman-Track— $447,128
2. Joseph M. Ruzzo, Foreman-Track— $405,237
3. Raymond A. Murphy, B&B Foreman— $405,021
4. John F. Dunne, B&B Foreman— $361,538
5. John E. Nugent, Foreman-Surfacing— $343,909
6. Christopher M. Kroll, Machine Operator— $326,444
7. Patrick A. Nowakowski, President— $323,446
8. Ralph K. Golden, Foreman-Track— $318,315
9. Peter J. Petersen, Engineer— $315,381
10. Anthony Brescia, Foreman-Track— $310,752
11. Ricardo G. Ruiz, MW Repairman Technician— $309,691
12. Dallas Bazemore III, Foreman-Surfacing— $302,836
13. Kevin T. Webb, B&B Foreman— $298,928
14. Thomas Caputo, Chief Measurement Oper— $297,619
15. Gregory A. Wood, B&B Foreman— $294,029
16. Omar A. Valle, Foreman-Track— $292,155
17. Ronald Bestafka, Foreman-Track— $289,551
18. Joseph Balestra, Foreman-Surfacing— $288,434
19. Christopher J. Jerome, Foreman-Track— $279,638
20. Terence M. Glum, Foreman-Track— $277,422
21. Lee S. Levine, Foreman-Track— $271,025
22. Matthew M. Cleary, Chief Train Dispatcher— $270,811
23. Patrick N. Damboise, Foreman-Track— $269,777
24. Matthew W. Senatore, Track Worker (A)— $268,926
25. Joseph Fragale, Foreman-Track— $268,888
26. Frank M. Garafola, Chief Train Dispatcher— $267,207
27. Claude F. Birong, Foreman-Track— $263,652
28. Joseph L. Fuoco, Foreman-Signal— $262,796
29. Kevin C. Curry, MW Utility Worker— $262,390
30. Devnish A. Baird, Foreman-Track— $262,195
31. Robert A. Friscia, Foreman MW Mechanic— $260,681
32. David W. Bradley, Engineer— $259,066
33. James E. Szegfu, Foreman-Surfacing— $257,588
34. Scott E. Anderson, Asst Supv-Track— $257,352
35. Robert A. Schnier, Asst Foreman T&T— $255,154
36. Michael R. Woodhouse, Chief Train Dispatcher— $253,469
37. Kendell T. Ward, Asst Stationmaster— $253,269
38. Herman N. Singh, Machine Operator— $253,038
39. Ryan Roberts, Foreman-Signal— $252,019
40. Jeremiah S. Wilson, MW Utility Worker— $247,859
41. Peter C. Parker, Foreman-Signal— $247,628
42. Harold M. Maxwell Jr., Chief Train Dispatcher— $247,327
43. Darryl W. Taylor, Gang Foreman-ME— $246,197
44. William P. Bagnasco, Asst Foreman-Signal— $246,003
45. Leonardo F. Espinosa, Gang Foreman-ME— $245,988
46. Nelson Sabella, Engineer Work Equipment— $243,987
47. Salvador A. Avelar, Asst Foreman-Signal— $243,719
48. Winsome L. Cameron, Conductor— $243,365
49. Christopher S. Smith, Conductor— $241,561
50. Steve Garcia, Gang Foreman-ME— $239,054
51. John Neglia, B&B Foreman— $238,785
52. Gregg L. Kelley, Conductor— $236,838
53. John F. Swaby, Gang Foreman-ME— $236,628
54. Richard Munoz, Crane Engr-Road/Rail Cranes— $236,462
55. Edward P. Popolizio, Foreman-Track— $236,023
56. Marc A. Stoia, MW Repairman Technician— $234,850
57. Jeffrey Davies, Gang Foreman-ME— $234,499
58. Herbert D. Bree III, Foreman-Signal— $234,230
59. Michael W. Greene, Conductor— $233,363
60. George W. Hutchinson, Gang Foreman-ME— $233,125
61. Wayne D. Rogers, Signal Inspector— $232,731
62. Bruce Ronald Pohlot, Sr Vice President-Engineering— $232,636
63. Henry S. Walker, Conductor— $230,905
64. Christopher A. Peart Jr., Conductor— $230,788
65. Joseph M. Persico, Conductor— $230,704
66. Mark A. Speruta, Foreman-Track— $230,569
67. Cary G. Realbuto, Gang Foreman-ME— $229,649
68. Craig S. Murray, Gang Foreman-ME— $228,951
69. Leonard J. Delia, Engineer— $228,560
70. Jonathan W. Quinlivan, Asst Foreman-Signal— $228,296
71. Carl F. Schmitt, Signal Inspector— $228,202
72. Jacqueline R. Gardner, Conductor— $227,276
73. Jason R. Klees, Asst Foreman-Signal— $227,259
74. Chris C. Mungal, Gang Foreman-ME— $227,199
75. Steve Delacrausaz, Gang Foreman-ME— $227,189
76. Jan K. Melhus, Conductor— $227,169
77. Steven R. Riekert, Machinist Federal Inspctr— $227,052
78. Nicholas M. Macqueen, Chief Train Dispatcher— $226,653
79. Jimmy Perez, Track Worker (A)— $225,994
80. Edward M. Smith, Conductor— $225,853
81. Rigoberto Vega, MW Mechanic— $225,476
82. Edward C. Herting, Gang Foreman-ME— $224,984
83. Stephen M. Rieber, Gang Foreman-ME— $224,742
84. Dave John Kubicek, Sr Vice President-Operations— $224,033
85. Donald R. Corona, MW Utility Worker— $223,794
86. Brenda J. Cole, Gang Foreman-ME— $223,629
87. Joseph Debenedetto Jr., Conductor— $223,345
88. Vincent G. Blackburn, Car Repairman— $222,660
89. Carlos Romano, Engineer— $222,599
90. Marc T. Fason, Signal Inspector— $222,452
91. Joseph Duryea, Foreman-Track— $222,148
92. Maria G. Nunez, Supvsg Agent-Penn Station— $222,049
93. Michael J. Evans, Conductor— $221,250
94. Clayton D. Davis, Asst Supv-Track— $221,156
95. William F. Benincase, Asst Supv-Track— $220,796
96. John Joseph Bergin Jr., Foreman-Track— $220,265
97. Joseph A. Famulari, Foreman-Track— $219,801
98. Mohamed A. Twahir, Signal Inspector— $219,381
99. Leonard F. Spero, Foreman-Signal— $218,892
100. Douglas J. Parker, Conductor— $218,701
101. Thomas W. Allen, Gang Foreman-ME— $218,394
102. Barry S. Kaufman, Sr Dir Trans Ops Support— $218,323
103. Salvatore A. Lazzarino, Machine Operator— $218,208
104. Nicholas R. Genter, Gang Foreman-ME— $217,883
105. Garnett Brown, Conductor— $217,567
106. Christopher E. Shine, Engineer— $217,487
107. Michael D. Dooling, Foreman-Track— $217,394
108. John F. Montaniz, Gang Foreman-ME— $217,270
109. Joseph P. Corvetti, Gang Foreman-ME— $217,124
110. John A. Fabilli, Conductor— $217,114
111. John A. Kolosvary, Lead Train Director-JCC— $216,969
112. James T. Rienzo, Yardmaster— $216,506
113. Mitchell Rojas, Gang Foreman-ME— $216,236
114. Craig R. Hohorst, Gang Foreman-ME— $215,955
115. Thomas E. O’Brien, Conductor— $215,542
116. Tom W. Tutaj, Machinist Federal Inspctr— $215,117
117. William P. Birkmier, Conductor— $214,433
118. James R. Hagenburg, Conductor— $214,121
119. Mark W. Allen, Train Dispatcher— $213,818
120. Kenneth A. Levin, Foreman-Track— $213,712
121. Edwal E. Ortiz, Foreman-Signal— $213,567
122. Joseph F. Pennachio, Foreman-Track— $213,270
123. Roy E. Kunzinger, Yardmaster— $213,184
124. Anthony J. St. Hilaire, Signal Inspector— $212,993
125. Benjamin R. Torregrosa, Gang Foreman-ME— $212,846
126. Salvatore R. Vitiello, Conductor— $212,755
127. Christopher G. Teresky, Asst Stationmaster— $212,565
128. Steven A. Dagostino, Gang Foreman-ME— $212,324
129. David P. Negus, Machinist— $211,841
130. Ramiro Vega Jr., Car Repairman— $211,680
131. Cleon Willis, Conductor— $211,011
132. Raymond L. Jones, Track Worker (A)— $210,844
133. Brendan W. Higgins, Engineer Work Equipment— $210,342
134. Darren E. Lukas, Crane Engr-Road/Rail Cranes— $210,075
135. Peter Zoufaly, Yardmaster— $209,794
136. Richard Iorio, Conductor— $209,773
137. Clinton I. Pittman Jr., Conductor— $209,348
138. George D. Callaghan, Foreman-Signal— $209,153
139. Jay W. Thompson, Train Dispatcher— $209,126
140. Christopher M. Brodarick, Conductor— $208,803
141. Robert T. Russell, MW Utility Worker— $208,768
142. Richard M. Trepiccione, Foreman-Track— $208,730
143. Delroy S. Bowen, MW Mechanic— $208,345
144. William J. Corley, Engineer— $208,237
145. Eugene B. Dunn, Conductor— $208,146
146. Joseph Caruso, Gang Foreman-ME— $207,904
147. Scott R. Dougherty, Conductor— $207,821
148. Alexander J. Dorosh, Asst Foreman-Signal— $207,554
149. Michael S. Magaliff, Conductor— $207,415
150. Rafael C. Delcastillo, Conductor— $207,352
151. Darryn P. Nichols, Gang Foreman-ME— $207,321
152. Bernard Morant, Chief Ticket Seller— $206,843
153. Arthur G. Davidson, MW Utility Worker— $206,737
154. Alberto Diaz, Machine Operator— $206,606
155. Charles F. Johnson Jr., Gang Foreman-ME— $206,504
156. Joseph Guggino, Structural Arc Welder— $206,487
157. Fulvio Enrique Castellanos, Supvsg Agent-Penn Station— $206,218
158. Mark Young, Vice Pres-Mgmt & Fin And CFO— $206,065
159. Gregory P. Olsen, Foreman-Signal— $205,656
160. George A. Smalls, Conductor— $205,459
161. Peter Dimartino, Engineer Work Equipment— $205,366
162. Miguel A. Villafane, Welder— $205,228
163. Biju Mathew, Gang Foreman-ME— $205,167
164. Robert G. Wakeford, Agent-Extra— $205,132
165. James T. Reshard Jr., Asst Stationmaster— $204,710
166. Ernesto Mitchell, Track Worker (A)— $204,495
167. Alvin J. Morgan, Conductor— $204,284
168. Filippo Lamendola, Asst Supv-Track— $204,171
169. James J. Scimone, Conductor— $203,934
170. Mark David Hoffer, VP-Gen Counsel & Secretary— $203,853
171. Joseph Patrick Zaino, Asst Stationmaster— $203,622
172. Dean Cange, Engineer Work Equipment— $203,621
173. Robert E. Smith, Chief Ticket Seller— $203,580
174. Mark O. Reid, Signal Inspector— $203,518
175. Martina Eugene, Car Repairman— $203,415
176. Brian G. Keating, Engineer— $203,264
177. Thomas Palumbo, Signal Inspector— $203,242
178. Robert C. Ennis, B&B Foreman— $203,198
179. Robert H. Santos, Gang Foreman-ME— $203,121
180. Jerome Sonnanburg, Chief Train Dispatcher— $202,905
181. Roger W. Weinman, MW Utility Worker— $202,847
182. Errol C. Clarke, Track Worker (A)— $202,339
183. Michael M. Bowe, Gang Foreman-ME— $202,120
184. Karl A. Bischoff, Engineer— $202,089
185. Sergio Dinovo, Conductor— $202,023
186. Vincent Buonincontro, Asst Grane Engr All Cranes— $201,734
187. Peter M. Torregrossa, Conductor— $201,532
188. Robert W. Harrington Jr., Conductor— $201,431
189. Lester M. Fleming, Machine Operator— $201,351
190. Richard C. Miller, Foreman-Signal— $200,994
191. Jaime G. Galecio, Gang Foreman-ME— $200,988
192. Aston L. Codling Sr., Sheet Metal Worker— $200,488
193. Karl W. Wilhelm, B&B Foreman— $200,407
194. Thomas J. Fitzgerald, Gang Foreman-ME— $200,319
195. James R. Brooks, Exec Dir-ESA/Harold Operations— $200,309
196. Gerard T. Lustberg, Conductor— $200,090

Image By Antony-22 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons